---
title: "Accessibility Checker Rule Help: RPT_Pre_ASCIIArt"
---
import "../../../styles/ToolHelp.scss"
import { CodeSnippet, Tag } from "carbon-components-react";

<div className="toolHelp">
<Row>
<Column colLg={16} colMd={8} colSm={4} className="toolHead">

### Check whether ASCII art has a text alternative

<div id="locLevel"></div>

ASCII art must have a text alternative

</Column>
</Row>
<Row>
<Column colLg={11} colMd={5} colSm={4} className="toolMain">

### Why is this important?

ASCII art cannot be read out by assistive technologies. Providing a text alternative makes the information available in a non-visual format. A link to skip the ASCII art saves users from having to read through large quantities of seemingly nonsense characters.

<div id="locSnippet"></div>

### What to do

 * If this element is not ASCII art but meaningful text, no action is needed;
 * OR, if this is ASCII art, verify there is a text alternative immediately before or after it. A link to skip the ASCII art is also recommended.

</Column>
<Column colLg={5} colMd={3} colSm={4} className="toolLeft">

### About this requirement

[IBM 1.1.1 Non-text content](https://www.ibm.com/able/requirements/requirements/#1_1_1)
[WCAG technique H86](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/html/H86)

### Who does this affect?

* Blind people using a screen reader
* People using text-based browsers (e.g., Lynx) or audio interfaces

</Column>
</Row>
</div>

export default ({ children, _frontmatter }) => (<React.Fragment>{children}</React.Fragment>)
